Following Milan, Inter Fail to Reach Italian Super Cup Final After Being Knocked Out by Bologna

Inter Milan failed to advance to the Italian Super Cup (Supercoppa Italiana) final after being eliminated by Bologna in a dramatic penalty shootout with a score of 3-2. The two teams drew 1-1 after 90 minutes at the Al-Awwal Park Stadium, Riyadh, Saturday, December 20, 2025. Ciro Immobile became the decisive figure in Bologna's victory during the penalty shootout.

This victory sends Bologna to the final to face Napoli, who eliminated AC Milan in the other semifinal.

Inter took an early lead in the 2nd minute through a goal by Marcus Thuram. However, Bologna equalized in the 35th minute via a Riccardo Orsolini penalty after Yann Bisseck committed a handball detected by VAR.

In the second half, Inter dominated following the introduction of Lautaro Martinez from the bench. Bologna goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia was forced into making several crucial saves, including denying a Federico Dimarco volley and an attempt by Lautaro.

The referee initially awarded a penalty to Inter in the 56th minute following a foul by Torbjorn Heggem on Ange-Yoan Bonny. However, the decision was overturned after a VAR review showed Bonny made contact with the opponent's leg first.

Bologna also had their moments. Late in the game, Giovanni Fabbian nearly scored, but was denied by a brilliant save from Josep Martinez. The 1-1 scoreline held until the end of normal time. 

According to Supercoppa rules, there is no extra time. The winner was determined directly by a penalty shootout.

The first two takers, Lautaro Martinez (Inter) and Lewis Ferguson (Bologna), executed their penalties perfectly. Subsequently, five takers – three from Inter and two from Bologna – failed to score in succession.

Jonathan Rowe from Bologna and Stefan de Vrij succeeded in scoring, making Ciro Immobile's penalty the decisive one that secured Bologna's victory in the shootout.

This marks a historic moment for Bologna, making their first-ever appearance in the Italian Super Cup. It proves their ability to compete with top teams despite missing key players like Remo Freuler and Nicolo Casale.

Meanwhile, Inter, who were without several key players such as Denzel Dumfries and Francesco Acerbi, had to swallow the bitter pill of semifinal elimination, following their city rivals AC Milan.